Chapter Text
During James Potter’s senior year at Hogwarts he had finally mustered up the courage to ask Lily Evans out.
Sure he had already asked her out many times and been rejected multiple times throughout his 6 years at Hogwarts. But this time was different because she had finally said yes.
James was shocked hearing her say yes, and he was still flabbergasted when he retold the story to the other marauders later.
James and his friends, Remus Lupin, Peter Petigrew, and Sirius Black were sitting at their usual picnic bench outside during lunch.
The weather was nice and there were hardly any other kids around. James was so excited that he could hardly sit still.
“And then I walked up to Lily, all confident, and asked her to listen to what I had to tell her,” James was saying.
Sirius leaned in excitedly “and?” He asks, eyes glistening.
Peter was drinking pumpkin juice, his eyes fixed on James, waiting. And even Remus was curious, setting his book down to listen.
“I told Lily that I used to bully people, hoping that it would impress her, but I realized that it was wrong of me.” He admitted.
When James had said that to Lily, she looked at him, shocked, like that was the last thing she expected him to say. To be honest, it wasn’t what James had planned on telling her either.
And based on the marauders' faces, they were just as surprised, but none of them said a word, waiting anxiously for more.
“And I said that I was going to stop bothering her if she wanted me to, But.” James says.
He thought back, trying to remember the exact words he had said.
“I will stop bothering you if that’s what you want. I will leave you alone and never speak to you again, but let me ask one last time if you’ll go out with me, because even though I may struggle to show it, I really do like you, Lily.” He had said earlier.
He had watched as she started to grin, making him feel nervous, like she was somehow mocking him with her smile. But instead of making fun of him, she shook her head, “Fine, if you insist” she had said, giggling.
“But, I wanted to ask if she would go out with me.” James tells his friends.
“What did she say? What did she say?” Sirius and Peter ask eagerly.
But James didn’t hear them because at that moment he saw Regulus Black, Sirius’s brother. He was hanging out with his Slytherin friends by one of the other picnic benches. He was laughing, looking like he didn’t have a care in the world.
James was watching him intently until Sirius yelled “JAMES”
Sirius followed his gaze, and asked with disgust “why are you looking at my brother?”
“I wasn’t, I was just, shut up.” James mutters, embarrassed.
“Anyways Lily said yes!” He says quickly, hoping none of them ask him about Regulus again.
The three start congratulating him, and he isn’t really listening until Remus says “this feels too good to be true, are you lying?”
“Of course not!” James said instantly, snapping back into reality.
“Ignore him,” Peter said, rolling his eyes, “now for the important question, can you set me up with one of Lily’s hot friends?”
“Oh shut up, Wormtail, you wish” James teases playfully, reaching over to swat Peter on the arm. The rest of the marauders erupt into laughter.
That night James lay awake on his bed, staring at the ceiling.
His friends are talking, but he isn’t listening, distracted by the memory of Regulus from earlier.
He was thinking about his face, it wasn’t because his face was particularly handsome or anything.
It was how perfect his jawline was, and his grey eyes, and his smile, and-.
“James, are you even listening to us?” Remus asks, interrupting James’ thoughts.
“Oh sorry, what were you talking about?” James asks.
Remus groans, “You’ve been acting weird all day.”
“Yeah, what are you even thinking about?” Peter asks.
“Oh um Lily,” James lies.
The three start laughing and making fun of James.
He hears Sirius say “lovesick puppy,” and one of them, he’s not sure who, says “how cute.”
James isn’t really sure why he lied, but it probably would have been weird if he said he was thinking about his best friend’s brother. But why was he thinking about him?
Surely he should be thinking about Lily. Thinking about her sweet smile, red hair, and green eyes.
Thinking about the way she giggled when saying that she would go out with James.
He tried to force himself to think about Lily, but he couldn’t get Regulus out of his mind.
He felt something towards him that he couldn’t explain.
Hatred.
That had to be what it was. He couldn’t stop thinking about Regulus because he detested him. Because Regulus made his skin boil with anger.
Regulus, the younger brother of James’ best friend, had always been a brat. This newfound fury and loathing made James more determined to beat Slytherin in their upcoming Quidditch match. He was going to beat both Slytherin and Regulus Black.
And when he did, Lily would see how good he is at Quidditch and fall in love with him.
That’s all he’s ever wanted. For Lily to fall in love with him.
“James, are you asleep or still thinking about Lily?” Sirius asks.
“Shut up,” James says.
“It was a genuine question,” Sirius says.
“Fine, then I’m asleep.”
“You're an asshole, Prongs,” Sirius laughs.
James and Sirius continue to talk, the others asleep. James quickly forgets all about Regulus and Lily. And soon James and Sirius fall asleep.
When James Potter wakes up in the morning, he’s anxious to see Lily, and has forgotten all about Regulus Black